OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 193, 16 August 1871, Page 2

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

0 Parliament was opeued on Monday, at 2 o'clock, by a Commission consisting of the Hons. J. L. C. Richardson, H. Sewell. W. Richmond, and A. Domett, specially appointed by His Excellency. The Commissioners having taken their seats in the Legislative Council Chamber, the members of the Council being present, a message was sent to the Lower House requesting the attendance of the Representatives. On their arrival, tbe Clerk read the warrant appointing the Commission ; after which the hon. the Speaker of the Legislative Council announced that there being no Speaker, his Excellency could not meet the House of Representatives, but had appointed the Commission to open Parliament, and to request the House of Representatives to choose a Speaker, and present him to his Excellency to-morrow, afc half-past one. This being done, his Excellency would meet the Parliament tomorrow at 2 o'clock, aud inform it as to his reasons for calling Parliament together. The Representatives then retired to their own hall, and after they were seated, Mr. Justice -Johnston, in his robes of office, entered, and proceeded to swear in the members. Sir D. Monro then rose and proceeded to 'propose the Hon. D. Bell as Speaker. He guarded himself from being supposed by .his doiug so to be aa ardent supporter of the preseut Miuistry. Indeed it was known that in a fitting place he had expressed opinions adverse to those held by the Ministry. He then dwelt at length on the many qualifications of the hou. D. Bell for the Speakership, and said that he was sure, if elected, that he would fill the chair well, and the honor and dignity of the House would be in safe keeping. Mr. Brandon briefly seconded the nomination of Mr Bell to the Speakership. The Hon. D. Bell, in a few feeling words, expressed his sense of the honor done him, and his intention to fulfill the duties with care and impartiality. In his long career as a public man, during which party politics had sometimes run high, he might have given some members cause of offence. If such was the case he trusted that his apologies would be accepted, for he should like to take his seat without any feelings of anger for any one preseut. : !; The Hon. W. Fox congratulated the Speaker on his election to the highest post which a Commoner could hold in the colony, and alluded to Mr. .Bell's long public career, commencing in London, where he worked! in the cause of colonisation up to the present time. : Heathenmoved that the House do pow, adjourn tiil to-morrow, at 2 b'olbck.~JPo^. 7 ,

A Man named Edward Hearle, lately discharged from the constabulary, was taken ashore at New Plymouth from the s.s. Taranaki, charged with stealing a cheque for £20. At the District Court, in Hokitika, last week, Judge Ward fined a juror, who was late in attendance, the sum of five shillings, and ordered him to attend next day, ol though his services were not required. A Barber was lately charged at the Thames (Auckland) Police Court, with plying his trade on a Sunday, but set up the defence that he was ouly shaving* Volunteers who were going to Church parade, and the case was dismissed. In the Taieri, Otago, the sole topic of conversation is the dryness of the season. A winter like the present hns not been experienced for mauy years, and a good day's rain, says a correspondent, would be a welcome sight to the farmers generally. The Otago Daily Times says : — " The planet Venus was visible yesterday in daylight, from shortly before four in the afternoon. Should the afternoon be clear, this planet will be visible for the next three weeks, and it attains its greatest brilliancy on the 20th, when its shape will be that of a fine crescent. A Chinese Methodist. — The Tuapeka Times of the 6th inst., contains a notice of ! the consecration cf a new Wesleyan Church at Waipori, which took place on the 2nd inst. The eveuiug following, a tea meeting was held, at which a Mr. Paul Ah Chin gave nn address upon the .religious history of China. At a public meeting recently held at | Tarmaki, a resolution was unanimously j carried that the Government should be memorialised to remove the coroner, the reason given being hi 3 deafness, and that his physical qualities were leaving him. He refuses to resign, although he has been asked to do so by the Superintendent. A Desirable Translation. — The Colony of Victoria is taking every means iD its power to bring the country under tbe notice not only of the English public, but also of the peasantry of the Continent of Europe. The laud Act Las been translated into German, and sold at such a price as to secure its extensive circulation in that Empire. A most distressing scene, says the Post, occurred in the Magistrate's Court al Wellington the other day when a young woman was brought up on suspicion of being of unsound mind. On entering the box she commenced low curtsies to the Justices and others in the Court. This she kept up for a minute, and then ber mood changed, and she began to move her hands ou the desk as though she was playing the piauo. Theu she sang snatches of songs, tossed her arms about, patted the desk, aud finally, holding her hands aloft, with her form erect and eyes flashing, she commenced a most solemn adjuration, which her evident insanity only made more fearful. It has been decided hy a New York Judge that a sfewiug machine cannot be seized for debt — first as being a necessary article of heusehold furniture, second as being an article wherewith to earn a livelihood. May his shirts never want a button ! A poor! emaciated Irishman, having called in a physician as a forlorn hope, the latter spread a large, mustard plaster and put in on the poor fellow's lean chest. Pat, when he with tearful eyes looked down on it,' said : " Docthor, it strikes me it's a dale of mustard; for so little. mate." A Keeper Killed bt an Elephant. — The four-year old Nepalese elephaut presented to the Duke of Edinburgh by Sir Jung Bahadoor was forwarded from Plymouth on the 2nd June by the mail train for London. At Newton Station of the South Devon Railway it Wag discovered that the elephant had crushed its, keeper, a man. named Pattoo, to death in the railway van. The animal had become restive, and while Patton was endeavoring to quiet him the accident happened. .